Movable step for vehicles.



H. DUNDERDALE.

MOVABLE STEP FOR VEHICLES.

APPLicATmN FILED MAR. 9, me.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

HERBERT DUNDERDALE, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO.

MOVABLE STEP FOB, VEHICLES.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept.. f1, 191'?.

Application filed March 9, 1916. Serial No. 83,010.

To all 'whom t may concern:

j Be it known that I, HERBERT DUNDERDALE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Movable Steps for Vehicles, of which the following is a full, clear, and eXact description, such as will enable others skilled in this art to make and use the same.

My invention has reference to an improved movable step for railway cars, and has for its main objects to improve and simplify the construction and increase the eiiciency and durability of devices of this character; to provide a movable step that is automatic in movement between its operative projecting and inoperative retracted positions; the provision of a step of this character whose component parts are few in number and which maybe readilyap plied to a car of standard construction.

The invention also contemplates certain novel details of construction, combination and arrangementof parts of the improved device, whereby certain advantages are attained, as will be more fully described hereinafter, and pointed out in the claims.

These, together with such other objects as may hereinafter appear, or are incident to my invention, I obtain by the construction illustrated in preferred form in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 represents a view in perspective illustrating the application 4of my improved movable step to a car, the step being in operative projecting relation with reference to the car steps;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the step in its retracted inoperative position: Fig. 3 represents a front view in elevation of the steps in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 5 indicates the car body, 6 the platform, 7 the end timber, 8 the fixed steps having the customary inner side piece 9 secured to the car body and the outer side piece 10 depending from the end timber 7, and 11 the trap door hinged to the car body and designed when lowered to occupy the position shown in Fig. 2 to close ofi' the steps from use by the passengers when the ear is in motion.

The movable step isindicated in the various figures of the drawings by the nu meral 12, and as shown is terminally carried by the side bars 13, the latter extending through the inclined slideways 14 formed by the sockets of `the guide members 15 which are secured to the outer faces of the side pieces 9 and 10. Disposed in the path of the trap door 11 is an actuating bar 1G mounted for vertical movement in a slot 17 formed in that portion of the end timber adjacent the steps 8. The upper end of the bar is flanged over at 18, and its lower end projecting through the lower terminal of the slot 17 is there provided with a stud 19 slidably engaging the wall of an elongated slot 20 which is formed in the free end of a fulcrum lever 21 pivotally mounted at 22 on the side piece 10.

A. link 23 is provided to connect the other end of the fulcrum lever 21 with the upper extension 13a of the outer bar 13 and in a manner whereby on depression of the actuating member 18 by the trap-door, when lowered, the bars 13 rise in their inclined guides and raise the movable step to its in-` operative position under the lower fixed step 8 as indicated clearly in Fig. 2. Stops 24 are provided on the extensions 13 of the bars 13 to take against the upper faces of the guide sockets 14 in order to limit the downward gravity movement of the movable step 12 when the trap-door is raised (Figs. 1 and 3).

Means are provided in order to equalize the movement of the left hand inner end of the step 12 with that of the right hand end, and to relieve it of stress and binding particularly during the upward movement of the step. With this end in view the upper portions of the bars 13 are formed on their under faces with rack teeth 25 designed to be engaged by the spur teeth of the gears 26. These gears have synchronous rotation through, and are mounted on a gear shaft 27 which extends behind the steps 8 and their risers and is terminally carried in bearings 28 secured to the inclined under faces of the side pieces 9 and 10. In this manner no stress is unduly placed upon any portion of the movable step and any possible binding of the side bars 13 in their guides is positively overcome.

The operation of raising and lowering my movable step is automatic and positive in character, and furthermore is under the control of the trainmen, since to raise the step all that is required is to drop the trap door. From the description thus far `made it will be obvious that the door in falling depresses the actuating member 18 which in turn actuates the fulcrum lever 21, link 23, and the bars 13.to raise the step into its retracted position and clear of any obstructions. On raising the trap-door, the step gravitates into its extended operative position.

From the foregoing description the essential features, elements and operation of my movable step, together with its simplicity and adaptability to standard car ends, and' other advantages thereof, will be clearly apparent vto those skilled in the art.

I do not intend to restrict Imyself to the exactl details or to the precise 4arrangement y of the various parts, as shown, as it is lmanifest-that variations may be made on struetural features and arrangement without departing from thespirit and scope of my invention and improvements. I :therefore reserve-the right to all such `variations as properly fall within the scope of my invention and -the termsof fthe following claims.

What I claim iis:

1. In combination with the stationary car steps and-a trap-door therefor, of an extensible step provided with movable rack members mounted on the sides of said car steps,

equalizing pinions engaging said rack members, and actuating means mounted independently of said pinions `comprising a depressible bar operatively disposed in the path of said trap-door, said bar provided with connections with` onefof said rack membersand constructed and arranged to raise said .extensible step .on depression of said bar, and permitting the lowering of said step to its extended position upon the rais- 3. In combination with the stationary car steps and a trap-door therefor, `of a movable extensible step having inclined side hanger members, guides for said members mounted on the sides of said stationary steps, an aotuating depressible lmember disposed inthe downward path vof the trap-door 'to beactuatedthereby, a rockingflever having aflost motion connection with said"1 .depressible member `and provided with a link connection with one `ofsaid hangermembers, and` an equalizing ymechanism lfor lsaid "members In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my lname and affixed myseal.

HERBERT DUNDERDALE. [L. 8;]

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' Washington, D. G. 

